Guide:How To Write Something Epic
This is a guide to help you write something - anything - epic: an article, a story, here or elsewhere, in Warhammer 40K or anything. It's about epicness. What Is epicness? Epicness is when the reader reads something epic; it is a feeling that you, the writer, are trying to make the reader feel. Tip #1: Keep it understated As I said before, epicness happens in the reader's mind; if you go throwing up too many details, it will interfere with the epicness. Here, let me show you: So, when you read about some guy fighting an Ork warlord in single combat atop some cliffs above magma flows, lopping off his head and throwing him in the magma below, does anything non-epic come to mind? There's not really enough detail for it to be really epic, but I think it shows what I mean. Tip #2: Have your character act OR: SHOW, DON'T TELL If there's one thing I've seen too many times, it's characters who don't act; it's writers who tell how their characters are feeling, what they're thinking, who don't let their characters show it. See the difference? Think of it a little like poetry: the purpose of poetry is to evoke a feeling. Well, when you want to write something epic, it's the same thing. Tip #3: Plot first, plot devices second As Supahbadmarine has pointed out very eloquently, the key to good fanon is good storytelling, not extra-special cool superpowers: on this site (who am I kidding? On all sites!) you'll see so many people giving their people special powerful weapons and powers and abilities, trying to get people interested. Well, it doesn't work. In fact, it is usually counter-productive. Think about it: what is more epic? A bunch of Space Marines who are super-powerful using their super powers to kick ass and wipe out huge numbers of enemies, or a bunch of Space Marines who are 'ordinary' kick-ass warriors, with their own flaws and disadvantages, overcoming those flaws and disadvantages to boldly stand forth against the enemies of Mankind? Think about it; take your time. We can wait. Back so soon? Anyway, back to the plot: plot first, plot devices second; they are called 'plot devices' for a reason. Plot devices serve to advance the plot; the plot does not (or, should not) be built around the plot devices. On the subject of flaws, here comes the next tip: Tip #4: Make them flawed Epicness most commonly happens when people rise above their limitations to accomplish great things. For example, the Seven Samurai: is that movie epic because the seven are powerful? No. Because they killed lots of people? No! It is epic because they are all flawed, limited, like real people; but they rise above their flaws and limitations to work together to accomplish a truly epic thing. Tip #5: Buildup I can't stress this enough: to achieve epicness, you must build up to it. Epicness is the point at the top of the pyramid of writing that you must build up, stone block by stone block, until you reach the plot's point. You must get the reader to care about the characters, about the story. You cannot make the reader care; you must attract the reader, lure the reader, draw the reader into the emotion of the story, have them thrill to your characters' triumphs, groan at their defeats, weep for their tragedies, until you reach the pinnacle of the story: that one point where epicness blooms. Tip #6: Don't try for epic Really. Don't. I have seen so many people try to write something epic before they are ready to write epically. Write badass stuff (it's easier than epic) get a lot of practice in, read epic stuff, learn what is epic, and what isn't. Then, when you're ready -and you may not know when you are - write epically. Word on badassery Not, technically speaking, a part of epicness, but certainly related: badassery is also something that super-powers don't help with. Badassery is also something that has to be shown, not told. Badassery is not necessary for epicness, but it does help. Like I have written before in many places, badassery has nothing to do with the size of the action: a lone Guardsman fighting to defend a minor settlement can be just as badass, or even more so, than a Space Marine super-hero destroying an entire Hive Fleet. But still, many people write these 'hive fleet' stories, trying for badassery and epicness, and just fall flat on their faces. Hence it is known as the 'Hive Fleet Effect'.